Technologies

Pokemon Go: Is the Gold Bottle Cap Worth Buying a $20 Battle Pass?

The new item maxes out all of the IVs on one of your Pokemon. It’s the easiest way to get a perfect shiny Pokemon in the game.

I’ve been playing Pokemon Go since its release in 2016, and I’ve never caught a perfect shiny legendary. They’re absurdly rare, because you need to roll the right stats and the alternate pigmentation on the same Pokemon.

I suspect I’ll be seeing a lot more shiny legendary Pokemon with max stats (or shundos, as the community calls them) soon, though, since developer Niantic has released the first Gold Bottle Cap into Pokemon Go.

This powerful item lets you have total control over your Pokemon’s stats for the first time in the game’s history, but there are a couple nasty catches — the biggest one being that it’s locked behind an additional $20 battle pass, and you only have one week to complete it.

Is it worth it for you to buy that pass and grind out the tiers until you have that sweet Gold Bottle Cap? Here’s what you need to know about this hot commodity.

What is Pokemon Go’s Gold Bottle Cap?

The Gold Bottle Cap might be a new item in Pokemon Go, but it has made multiple appearances in mainline Pokemon games.

The first Gold Bottle Caps appeared in the Generation 7 games Sun and Moon, where they were used to max out all of a single Pokemon’s individual values (IVs). These IVs are hidden stats that are intrinsic to a Pokemon — you can manipulate them through breeding techniques, but the only way to change them on an already-generated Pokemon is through using the bottle caps.

The Gold Bottle Cap in Pokemon Go serves the same purpose as it does in the mainline games. This item will boost a single Pokemon’s Attack, Defense and HP IVs to 15 (the max value in Pokemon Go), assuming you’re able to complete the Hyper Training tasks the Gold Bottle Cap unlocks.

The current way to manipulate a Pokemon’s IVs in Pokemon Go is to trade it with a friend (and each Pokemon can only be traded once), so the Gold Bottle Cap is the only true guarantee that you’ll get a specific perfect Pokemon.

How to earn the Gold Bottle Cap in Pokemon Go

Currently, the only Gold Bottle Cap available to you in Pokemon Go is locked behind the final tier of a premium battle pass. Much like the Lucky Trinket gets locked behind the monthly Go Pass, the Gold Bottle Cap is the big draw of the special Go Fest 2025 Go Pass — so you’ll have to shell out cash and then put in the work to reach tier 100 in order to unlock this IV-maxing item.

Since this is only the first Gold Bottle Cap Pokemon Go players have had a chance to earn, it’s hard to say whether or not there will be alternative acquisition methods in the future. An item this absurdly powerful will definitely stay rare, just like the Master Ball.

If and when more Gold Bottle Caps are added to the game, it’d be a safe bet to assume they’ll remain out of reach of free-to-play players.

Is it worth it for you to buy the Ancients Recovered Go Pass?

The Ancients Recovered Go Pass is an event battle pass designed to run in tandem with Go Fest Global 2025. That means it’s extremely time limited — you can start making progress right now, but the whole battle pass will disappear after June 29. That means you have less than a week to knock out every tier.

You can earn a maximum of 10 tiers a day until June 28, and then the daily battle pass experience point limit will be uncapped. Essentially, if you don’t have a weekend to dedicate to playing Pokemon Go, there’s no way you’re going to unlock everything on this Go Pass (including the Gold Bottle Cap).

The pass also costs $20, which is a much steeper price than the $8 Niantic asks for in exchange for the monthly Go Pass.

Even if you make it to tier 100 of the event battle pass and unlock the Gold Bottle Cap, there are some strings attached to its usage. You can only use this item once, in order to boost a single Pokemon’s IVs — and if you don’t use your Gold Bottle Cap by July 6, it’ll simply disappear from your inventory. Tough luck.

You can’t use this item on Shadow Pokemon, and the Pokemon you want to use it on has to be your Good Buddy (or higher). If you don’t have a Pokemon already in mind to use the Gold Bottle Cap on, it’s probably not worth your time and money to invest in the pass.

Of course, if you are on the fence about whether or not to purchase this (very expensive) Go Pass, there are rewards on every other tier as well.

If you’re gunning for that Gold Bottle Cap tier, you’ll also pick up bonus experience points, lure modules, a lucky egg, an incense, an incubator and encounters with the legendary Pokemon Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Regieleki and Regidrago. You’ll also collect candy and candy XL for those legendaries.

If you progress the pass to the extra tiers past the Gold Bottle Cap, you can even earn upwards of 100,000 stardust — which goes far when it comes to powering up your Pokemon.

The value offered by the Gold Bottle Cap is completely subjective. Pokemon Go thrives off of FOMO — think about how long ago it was that Armored Mewtwo and the clone Pokemon from Pokemon: The First Movie last appeared in raids — but you shouldn’t feel compelled to buy into every new thing that gets added to the game. The difference between a couple IV points is negligible, and you can build a meta team of ‘mons without the Gold Bottle Cap.

Gold Bottle Cap FAQs

Technologies

Want to Watch a Podcast? Netflix and Spotify Partner to Bring Video Podcasts to Streaming

Starting in early 2026, Netflix subscribers in the US will be able to watch select Spotify Studios and Ringer podcasts directly on the streaming platform.

Netflix and Spotify are teaming up to blur the line between streaming and podcasting. The two companies announced a new partnership that will bring a curated slate of Spotify’s top video podcasts, including shows from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, to Netflix starting in early 2026. The goal is to make popular podcasts as watchable as TV, expanding both services’ reach into sports, culture, lifestyle and true crime.

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The deal marks Spotify’s most significant distribution push beyond its own platform, and for Netflix, it’s a new way to keep audiences engaged with talk-driven, low-cost programming. Early titles include The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, Dissect, Conspiracy Theories and Serial Killers, among others. You can find the complete list here.

More shows and genres are expected to be added over time.

Netflix says the partnership complements its library of documentaries and talk shows, offering «fresh voices and new perspectives.» Spotify, meanwhile, described it as «a new chapter for podcasting,» giving creators access to Netflix’s global audience while expanding discovery for listeners who prefer watching podcasts.

The rollout will begin in the US early next year, with additional markets to follow in 2026.

Technologies

Every Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT Code

It’s dangerous to explore Kairos without some legendary gear. These promo codes will unlock epic loot and vault hunter cosmetics in Borderlands 4.

The biggest looter shooter of the year, Borderlands 4, is out, and tons of players are already taking the fight to the Timekeeper on Kairos. If you want to put the beat down on someone strong enough to control time, then you’re going to need an arsenal of powerful weapons and equipment.

Luckily, developer Gearbox Software is willing to lend a helping hand. Instead of having to farm every piece of legendary equipment in-game, you can roll the dice on some loot with Golden Keys unlocked by SHiFT promo codes.

If you’re already swimming in more loot than you know what to do with, some SHiFT codes also unlock special cosmetic looks for your favorite vault hunters. Special in-game challenges have already unlocked promo codes for Amon, Rafa and Vex vault hunter skins, with a Harlowe skin unlocking soon. Here’s how to use the latest SHiFT codes in Borderlands 4.

All active SHiFT codes for Borderlands 4

You can hunt down SHiFT codes on social media, but we’ll keep all of the active promo codes in one place for ease of access.

Below, you’ll find a chart that contains every active SHiFT code for Borderlands 4, what it unlocks and its expiration date:

Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT codes

Reward	SHiFT code	Expiration date
Golden Key	WZK3B-SHTHF-JZ59K-SBT3B-TWHXT	Oct. 19, 2025
Vex Mass Market Appeal Skin	BZ6JJ-CB6CT-WXJJW-3TT3B-56FZ5	Jan. 1, 2031
Amon Cult Classic Skin	JZ6BJ-SBR5J-WF3BK-BT3BB-TX9HB	Dec. 31, 2030
Rafa Savings Savior Skin	TZXT3-XJXCB-CXBJW-BTTJT-9SK6B	Dec. 31, 2030
Break Free Cosmetics Pack	JS63J-JSCWJ-CFTBW-3TJ3J-WJS5R	Jan. 1, 2031
Golden Key	T9RJB-BFKRR-3RBTW-B33TB-KCZB9	No expiration

How to redeem SHiFT codes for your Borderlands 4 account

While SHiFT codes are totally free rewards for you to accumulate, you must make a SHiFT account to input any active codes in-game.

SHiFT is a service that Gearbox integrates into its biggest games, and making an account unlocks forums and exclusive beta participation. It’s also necessary to create an account to turn in any promo codes, which is what most fans care about.

Once your account is created, you can enter your SHiFT codes in two separate places. Within your SHiFT account settings, you can find a Rewards tab with a field to enter any Borderlands promo codes. Once you enter the codes, any unlocked items will be added to your account the next time you open the game.

However, an easier way to input your SHiFT codes is within Borderlands 4 itself. Within the game’s pause menu, you can access a SHiFT. Select the Rewards tab from the resulting menu, input your codes, and the unlocked items will be immediately available on your save.

Where are SHiFT codes normally released?

SHiFT codes are released fairly frequently on Gearbox and Gearbox-affiliated social media channels. For the best chance at catching every new SHiFT code that gets released, you should follow Gearbox on X and on Facebook.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford also releases promos on his X account, so if you’re brave enough to follow him despite his frequent outbursts toward fans you can find SHiFT codes there as well.

What are SHiFT codes?

SHiFT codes are promo codes that Gearbox occasionally releases that reward players with loot and cosmetics in Borderlands games. The main SHiFT code reward is a Golden Key, which opens the Golden Chest in most Borderlands hub areas.

But don’t spend them immediately — it’s worth saving your Golden Keys until you reach the level cap and are playing on the hardest difficulty, as the loot rewards will scale to your character accordingly. This is a great way to begin farming some endgame legendaries quickly and easily.

Technologies

Barack Obama Reveals He Only Plays This One Phone Game

No, it’s not Wordle or Connections, but you’ve almost certainly heard of it.

Many of us rely on our smartphones for entertainment as well as communication, playing New York Times games such as Wordle, Connections and Strands on our phones. (CNET has daily answers for those games, plus Connections: Sports Edition and the Mini Crossword, if you’re ever stumped.) Now, one very famous person recently revealed that he plays only one phone game — and it’s one you’ve likely heard of.

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Former President Barack Obama appeared on the final episode of the podcast WTF with Marc Maron https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-1686-barack-obama/id329875043?i=1000731550704#link={%22linkText%22:%22final episode of the podcast WTF with Marc Maron%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22href%22:%22https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-1686-barack-obama/id329875043?i=1000731550704%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22}on Monday. He revealed the only game he plays on his phone is Words With Friends.

Obama says he plays the word game to keep up his friendship with longtime White House photographer Pete Souza.

«I could be in the middle of negotiations on a nuclear treaty, and if that ping goes off, there’s a part of me that’s like, ‘I wonder what [word] he [Pete Souza] played,» Obama said.

Words With Friends is similar to, but not associated with, the world-building game Scrabble. It was released in 2009 and is owned by game company Zynga, and can be played on devices running iOS and Android. Players take turns creating words on a game board using their rack of seven letter tiles, trying to score as high as possible while using special bonus squares to double or triple their points. As of Tuesday, Words With Friends ranked No. 14 on the free Word Games list in the Apple App Store.

Obama did not share whether he or Souza tends to win the majority of the pair’s games.